Buckle and buckle connection



.Fume 26, 15.

G. B. WILSON BUCKLE AND BUCKLE CONNECTION Filed Mallch 19, 1945 l lF Z/ //8 l l \ll o 70"@ C fall-"i2 /9// I /5 "Il: /o I /5 /2 'sla-rn 151| @sae 6E Be-1v ro/v h//Ls rv INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 26, v1945 BUCKLE ANnA BUCKLE CONNECTION George Benton Wilson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 19, 1943, serial No. 479,750-v 8 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to buckle connections, including a buckle member, such as are used to adjustably secure the overlapping ends of straps of leather or other material, and more particularly to a connection of this character which, while applicable to portions of harness and to bridles and the like, is especially useful for belts of the so-called western or cowboy type, worn either as a waist line garment holder, or for merel-y ornamental purposes.

Belts of the type above referred to commonly include a buckle member, a keeper, and a tip for the overlying strap end, all of ornamental character, the desirable appearance of which, in assembly in use,` is properly maintained only as long as'- these ornamental features are uniformly, or substantially uniformly, spaced apart in the secured position of the belt. In such belts the underlying or concealed belt end is commonly fixed to the buckle member and carries the keeper, andthe overlapping or exposed belt end is adjustably engaged in the buckle, and carries at its extremity, beyond' the keeper, an ornamental tip which must be passed through the keeper.

The desirable ornamental appearance of the substantially uniformly spaced buckle, keeper and tip, as above mentioned, can therefore, be maintained only so long as the same adjustment of the overlying strap end is maintainedr in use. In any instance where this adjustment is varied, the strap tip must. necessarily be positioned either a greater distance from the keeper, or closer to the latter. Thus if the belt is tightened, on account of lighter clothing or a reduction of waist measurement, the tip is moved away from the keeper, and if the belt is let out, on account of heavy clothing or an increase of waist measurement, the tip is moved closely to, or against, the keeper. In either event the proper substantially uniform spacing of the buckle, keepei` and tip, which is the major factor of the pleasing ornamental appearanceof the buckle connection as a Whole, is lost.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a buckle connection, in which the component parts, the buckle, keeper and tip, may always retain their properly spaced relationship notwithstanding the adjustment of the belt to a larger or smaller waist measurement, or if used on harness, bridles or other similar equipment, when the same are lengthened or shortened. It is proposed to accomplish this desirable result by providing a buckle or buckle and keeper which receives and adjustably secures 'both ends of the belt or both straps of the harness, bridle or other equipment, as distinguished from prior connections whereinvoney underlying or concealed strap or belt end is permanently or unadjustably attached to the buckle, all adjustment in or out being effected by the other overlying strap or belt end, with the result that the latter end changes its length with each adjustment. k

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying-drawing, and will be described in detail in reference thereto, although it is to be understood the invention is not thereby limited to any particular structural form, and` other and further modes of carrying the invention into practical use may be adopted.

In the drawing, which forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation, showing overlapping strap ends and a buckle connection therefor,

as proposed in the presentl embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the several parts of the present connection on the overlying stra end. l

`Figures 3 andA 4 are verticall cross sectional views, taken respectively on lines 3-3 and 4--4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional View taken through the connection substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the foregoing gures of the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1, the usual ornamented features. of a buckle connection for overlapping strap ends, as used in decorative western or cowboy belts, harness and bridles, include a metallic strap tip I0, a metallic guide loopv or keeper II, and a metallic tongue type of buckle I2, although nothing in this statement is to be taken as precluding the formation of these parts of any material, other than metal, if found suitable for the purposes.

For the purposes of the present invention, the overlying strap end I3, which carriesv the tip I0 at its extremity, is shown as passing through the buckle I2, and as apertured at I4 to receive the buckle tongue I5 at a point arranged to space the overlying strap end tip II) approximately a similar distance beyond the guide or keeper II that the latter is, in turn, spaced beyond the, buckle I2. Such an arrangement, which is of course variable to some extent in accordance with the particular ornamentalA characteristics of above members, initially places the. several membersv in pleasingly spaced juxtaposition, and should assure that the tip end I0 of the strapvr I3 does not so far extend tends to pull the underlying strap beyond the keeper II as to droop under the added weight of the tip.

In the ordinary strap er belt connection, the above arrangement can be initially obtained by selection, in the case of a belt, of a correct belt length for a known waist line measurement. However, since ordinarily the overlapping strap end is taken up or let out, through the buckle, to conformto decrease or increase of Waist line measurement, it is obvious that any such change will result in a rearrangement of the initially spaced relation of the strap tip l0, with respect to the keeper II and buckle I2, so that it is either extended too far from the keeper, or too close thereto. Any change of a substantial extent, such as one which might commonly result from a shift to lighter or heavier garments, is usually sufcient to destroy the initial pleasing relation of the ornamented parts of the connection.

To defeat the foregoing disadvantage the overlying strap end I3 is, according to the present invention, never used as an adjustment feature after it is initially xed through the buckle I2 to project its end tip i in pleasingly spaced relation to the keeper II and buckle I2. In order to properly accord with different types of ornamented tip, keeper and buckle, the belt end may be provided with more than a single tongue receiving aperture I4, to achieve a proper initial adjustment of the parts. Any such adjustment is, however, merely for initial setting of the parts.

Io permit of the foregoing, the underlying strap end I6 is, in the present instance, the adjustment end of the belt, and is shown in Figure as provided with a lengthwise series of apertures Il to adjustably engage a retaining means at the rear of the buckle. As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the buckle I2 has a fixed cross bar I8 at its rear face adjacent to its rear end, the intermediate portion of which cross bar I8 serves as a hinge pin for the pivoted end of the tongue I5. The cross bar I8, which is anchored at its ends to the rear faces of the side portions of the buckle I2, is also shown as serving to anchor to the buckle a plate I 9 which projects endwise beyond the rear end of the buckle, and in this instance acts as a supporting member for the guide or keeper I I.

The keeper I I, being firmly secured on the plate I9, is thus denitely spaced from, and in rigid relation to, the buckle I2, and the plate I9 being thus a rigid part of the buckle, it is shown as provided with a rearwardly projecting pin or post having a hooked end 2| angled toward the buckle I2, and which may be engaged through any aperture I'I' of the strap end I6. In thus engaging the underlying or concealed strap end I6, the latter is extended through a transverse loop or keeper 22 secured across the buckle I2 at the rear face of its forward or tongue engaging end. This forward keeper 22 also receives a portion of the overlying strap I3 where the latter passes beneath the buckle at the rear of its point of engagement by the tongue I5.

Thus, as the strain of the connection in use I6 snugly against the post 20 beneath its hooked end 2|, the connection, at this point, will normally remain snugly tight and secure. When thebelt is to be detached or adjusted, it is a simple matter to quickly release the underlying strap end I6 from the rear retaining post 2|] of the buckle.

The provision for connection and disconnection,

as well as for lineal adjustment, without disturbstrap end, is-the fundamental advantage of the invention, but other features of advantage may be observed by reason of the support of the keeper II on the buckle I2, since these associated parts may be readily maintained for easy and quick assembly with any Waist line size of belt and, whether used on belt, harness or bridle straps, may be as easily and quickly removed to permit of more ready and effective cleaning and polishing thereof. l

Another advantage of the inventionlies in the fact that a much larger and more ornamental tip I0, and smaller keeper II, may be used. Ordinarily the tip I0 must be passed through the keeper, but in the present invention this is not so. The tip Ill may be attached to the extremity of the strap end I3 in the usual manner, and the other end of the strap or belt may then be passed backward through the keeper I I, then through the buckle I2 where it is secured by the tongue I5, then through the keeper 22. Hence the tip Ill need not be limited to such size as will permit it to pass through the keeper II, or the latter made sufficiently large to permit of passage of the tip IIl therethrough.

Also, with the present invention, the belt can be made up `complete with the buckle I2, keeper I I and tip I0 in order t0 exhibit the pleasing appearance and relation of the ornamented parts on the belt, and the other end of the latter may be cut off to proper belt size after the waist measurement ofthe buyer or user has been ascertained. In other ornamental buckle connections of this type, belts of all lengths must be kept in stock and the buckle, keeper and tip assembled with a proper length of belt after the waist measurement of the buyer or user has been ascertained.

Having thus fully described a preferred form of the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a buckle connection for belts for personal wear, having overlapping strap ends, a buckle member having means, including a strap engaging tongue, to hold an overlying strap endin definite, predetermined relation to said member, a keeper means carried by said buckle member and forming a rigid connection with the keeper, spacing the keeper from the buckle in a position to receive said strap end and concealed throughout by said strap end, means in connection with the buckle member at its rear face for engaging and adjustably holding an underlying strap end and a keeper for the underlying strap end.

2. In a buckle connection for overlapping strap ends, a buckle member, means carried by said member for engaging and holding an overlying vstrap end in definite, predetermined relation to the member, a keeper rigid with said buckle member and spaced beyond one end thereof to receive said engaged strap end, and means rigidly supported by said buckle member at its rear face and arranged to engage and adjustably, releasably hold an underlying strap end including a keeper adjacent the other end of the buckle, and a perforation engaging stud adjacent the rst mentioned keeper.

3. A buckle for harness and belts, having a strap .engaging tongue and a keeper spacedfrom one end of the buckle for a strap end engaged by said tongue, rigid connecting means between, and of substantially less width than, the said buckle and keeper and means carried by the rear face of the buckle for adjustably holding a second strap end concealed behind said first named strap end, said last named means including a keeper projecting rearwardly from the other endv of the buckle and a post for entering a strap perforation and projecting rearwardly therefrom substantially opposite said rst named keeper.

4. In an ornamental buckle assembly for belts for personal wear of the type including overlapping strap portions, a buckle including a tongue and a keeper, the latter projecting rearwardly from the buckle at one end thereof and adapted to receive both overlying and underlying belt straps, a support rigid with the buckle, said support extending lengthwise thereof beyond its opposite end and being of a width throughout less than that of the belt straps for effective concealment by the overlying strap, a keeper fixed on said support and opening approximately in line with the front face of the buckle to receive the overlying strap, and a post projecting rearwardly from the said support, adapted to entera perforation of the underlying strap, and arn ranged in line with the rearwardly projecting keeper of the buckle.

5. An ornamental buckle assembly for ornamental belts for personal wear of the type including overlapping strap ends, said assembly including a U-shaped buckle, a cross bar fixed across the rear of the buckle at its open end and adapted to be concealed by the overlapping strap end passing through the buckle, means forming a rigid connection extending from said cross bar substantially beyond the said open end of the buckle and of a width throughout less than that of the overlying strap end, whereby to be concealed by the latter, a forwardly extending keeper fixed to said connection and spaced from the buckle to receive the overlying -strap end, a

rigid rearwardly projecting headed stud adjacent .mit of utilization of the underlying strap as the adjustable attaching and detaching end of the belt and at the same time conceal the latter end and its said attaching means.

6. A buckle for straps and the like, including,

a tongue for securing one end of a strap in unadjustable relation thereto, the other end of said strap having perforations, a keeper on one side of said buckle to receive and hold said one end of the strap in position, said keeper provided with a substantially central member and said other end of said strap being movable relative to said buckle end thereof to adjust the circular extent of the strap, said other end being secured in concealed relation to and by said rst end and adapted to be connected in adjusted position by mutual engagement of -said central member with one of the perforations in said other end of the strap, and a keeper associated with the other side of the buckle to receive and retain the free end thereof against the other end of said buckle and against ilexure and displacement.

7. ln a strap buckle, a tongue engaging said strap to unite said buckle in xed relation with one end thereof, said buckle having a pair of rigid loops disposed on opposite sides of said buckle, one end of said strap being secured in one of said loops, a'post on one of said loops, the strap having perforations near the other end thereof and engageable by said post to hold said strap in a position of adjustment, and the last named end of said strap being secured in the other of said loops.

8. The combination of a belt provided at its inner end with a series of perforations, a buckle having means for connecting same to near the end of the outer belt portion in unadjustable relation thereto, said buckle having a plate rigidly connected therewith, a loop rigid with the outside of said plate to receive the end of the outer belt portion, said buckle, loop and vbelt end being in predetermined spaced and fixed relation, and overlying the inner end portion of said belt, said inner end portion being adjustable relative to the buckle and outer end of the belt, said plate having a perforation engaging means to hold said inner belt end in adjusted position, and a loop rigid with the inside of said buckle to receive and hold the inner end of said belt.

GEORGE BENTON WILSON. 

